If you’ve never been to a Catholic Mass, or you have, but don’t understand the flow of it, you’ve come to the right place!
No more looking around wondering if you should be standing, kneeling or sitting. Once you know what exactly is going on during the Mass, it’s easier to understand what you should be doing.
The order of the Catholic Mass is quite easy to understand once you understand the different pieces. Understanding each component and WHY it is included in the Mass makes it so much easier to grasp and gives children something to look forward to.
I’m going to explain the parts of the Catholic Mass step-by-step in the Catholic Mass guide below. It can seem overwhelming, but its actually really simple!
But before we dive in, if you’re like me and always looking for Catholic gifts, I’ve compiled a whole list for you here! P.S. Every single shop mentioned includes a discount code. Happy shopping!
The Parts of the Catholic Mass in Order
To keep it really easy, the parts of a Catholic Mass can be broken down into four basic pieces.
1.) Introductory Rites
2.) The Liturgy of the Word
3.) The Liturgy of the Eucharist
4.) Concluding Rites
There are many components within each of these four parts, but those are the four main “chunks” of the Mass.
Teaching the Parts of the Mass to Kids
Depending on their age, you can explain the parts of the Catholic Mass to really little kids like this:
“We begin each Mass by making the sign of the Cross, singing a few songs, and saying prayers. This is called the Introductory Rites. The second part, called the Liturgy of the Word, has two readings, a couple songs and prayers, and the priest or deacon reads the Gospel (which is a story from the bible) and then he explains the story he just read. The third part of the Mass is when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, it’s called the Liturgy of the Eucharist! The fourth part is the end of the Mass, when we sing one more song and say our last prayers. It’s called the Concluding Rites.”
Breaking it down into four manageable pieces like this without going into too much detail enables young children to grasp a sense of time and helps them understand how much longer they have to sit quietly.
If you’re looking for a quick craft for the younger crowd, I made the below “Parts of a Catholic Mass” worksheet pdf just for the preschool/kindergarten age group!
You can leave it at that or, if you’re looking for a more broken-down version of what happens during the Mass, keep reading!
(I just have to tell you real quick-this book goes through the different parts of a Mass in a really basic, uncomplicated way. Very suitable for 2 and 3 year olds.)
Introductory Rites (Preparing to Celebrate the Eucharist)
Entrance Song-Before entering your pew, kneel down and make the sign of the cross. This is called genuflecting. Then the priest, who is representing Jesus through Holy Orders and is a sacramental sign of the presence of Jesus, is welcomed by the congregation with a hymn of praise!
The Sign of the Cross-We profess our faith in The Holy Trinity-The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit
Penitential Act-We remember our sins and ask God for his mercy
The Gloria-We praise God in song
Collect (pronounced kahl-ect)-We ask God to hear our prayers
The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading-A lector reads from (usually) the Old Testament
Psalm-We respond to God’s word through song
Second Reading-A lector reads God’s word from the New Testament
Gospel Acclamation– We sing “Alleluia!” to praise God for His Good News
Gospel-Scripture is read from The Bible
Homily-The priest or deacon explains what was just proclaimed during the Gospel reading
Profession of Faith-We proclaim our faith through the Creed (either the Apostle’s Creed or the Nicene Creed)
Prayer of the Faithful-We pray for our needs and the needs of others
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Preparation of the Altar and Gifts-The gifts of wine and bread are brought up to the Altar
Prayer Over the Offerings-The priest offers a prayer over the gifts asking God to accept our sacrifice
Eucharistic Prayer-A prayer of thanksgiving is said
Holy Holy Holy-Also called the Sanctus, this is sung by everyone in the congregation
Consecration-The highlight and center of the entire celebration! This is when the bread and wine are consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Mystery of Faith-This is sung right after to the Consecration as a declaration of our faith and communion with Jesus.
Communion Rites (This is still technically part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but can also be considered another main part of the Mass. You may hear that there are 5 parts of a Catholic Mass, with this being the 4th.)
Lord’s Prayer—We pray the Our Father
Sign of Peace—We offer one another Christ’s peace by extending a handshake or hug
Lamb of God—We pray for forgiveness, mercy, and peace
Communion—We receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ
Prayer After Communion—We pray that the Eucharist will strengthen us to live just as Jesus did
Concluding Rites
Final Blessing-We receive God’s blessing
Dismissal-We leave in peace, glorifying God through our lives for the rest of the week! Don’t forget to genuflect after leaving your pew!
Printable Parts of the Catholic Mass Activities
Wanting more Catholic Mass activities?
Our “Parts of the Mass” 46-page worksheet book is instantly downloadable so you can print off all the worksheets right now! Answer keys included.
If you’re looking for a worksheet for older children, these Order of the Mass printable worksheets are great.
A few more great Catholic items to integrate our faith!
Muslin Mary Quilt from Be a Heart
“Made of 8 soft-as-a-cloud layers, this two sided Marian Deluxe Muslin Quilt is perfect for cozy days or to place on the floor as a play mat. Two sided, it features hand drawn images of Marian apparitions from the stories of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Aparecida, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Fatima. Made in restful and serene color, with a marigold gingam fabric on the reverse, it makes the perfect Baptism gift for your favorite tiny saint.”
These little Interactive Mass Cards are also good for keeping little hands busy and giving children a visual of what has already happened and what to expect next during Mass.
A Garden for Mary Book + Mary Garden Wooden Puzzle
“Teach Me About the Mass” workbook
This workbook, available from The Catholic Company (my FAVORITE online Catholic store), is good for ages 6-8 and helps actively teach thm about the Mass through coloring, drawing, mazes, connect the dots, stories, matching games and more.
So there you have it, the parts of the Catholic Mass and their meaning! I hope this post helps you break down the Catholic Mass for children (and it may have even been beneficial for you!) If you found it useful, please pass it along to another Catholic parent who could use it, pin it to pinterest, share it on social media, and subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss out on any Catholic goodness.
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P.S. If you’re on the hunt for a great Catholic kid’s Bible, look no further! We love this one.
